Venom
by TokiDoki9
Summary: KatnissxPeeta fanfic/I have to get away from here.    As soon as I see Katniss stumble off into the trees, I turn in the other direction. I can see Cato's back ahead of me, frantically running in the direction of the lake. "You're dead, Mellark!"
1. Chapter 1

First Hunger Games fanfiction ever. Be nice okay? :)) Comments, reviews suggestions are welcome! ^_^

*I DO NOT OWN HUNGER GAMES!

I have to get away from here.

As soon as I see Katniss stumble off into the trees, I turn in the other direction. I can see Cato's back ahead of me, frantically running in the direction of the lake. "You're dead, Mellark!" I hear him scream over his shoulder. Then he disappears into the forest. He must be wanting to get back to camp before he collapses from the venom. Good. That gives me a little time to try and get away.  
>I bolt to the right. This way should take me further into the woods, to a place I can find shelter and water. I've got to hurry. The sting behind my ear is swelling. I feel a sharp prick of pain on my arm. Two seconds later I feel another on my leg. The tracker jackers must still be pursuing me. I'm running out of time.<p>

I tear through the foliage, pushing aside branches and trampling over the underbrush, acquiring cuts and scratches all over my hands and arms and face. The woods begin to spin, but I keep going. I can't stop. I can't. I get another thirty feet before I stumble. My foot catches on a root and I fall to my knees. My vision is swimming, but somehow I'm able to get back to my feet and keep running. How long is it supposed to be until the hallucinations begin? I barely have time to wonder before I hear a loud buzzing sound right next to me. I swat at the air beside my head. My movements feel slow and clumsy. The world is tipping. I stagger to the right and slam into the trunk of a tree. But I have to keep going. With shaking hands, I push myself upright and take another heavy step. Then another.

The forest around me begins to melt. The trees sink into gloppy piles of mush, and soon the sludge pours over my feet. The stuff is turning a rainbow of colors as I try to kick it off, but it's too sticky. I can't pull my feet out of it. Then it hardens around my ankles. A powerful wind comes out of nowhere and blows the stuff away like it was sand. I wrap my arms around myself and try to fight against it. The poison is working. My thoughts are becoming muddy and confused. I fight to keep a clear head, to hang onto my sanity. I have to get away from here.

I take another few wobbly steps, but I don't move forward. What is happening to me? My head is spinning so badly. I watch as the trees begin shooting back out of the ground. The trunks are a variety of colors, from sparkly gold to neon green to hot pink. There are birds perched on the branches. In unison, they all open their beaks and give a deafening shriek. My hands fly up to my ears, but I can't muffle the sound. It pierces through my head and rattles my brain. It's so loud that I can't hear myself screaming, though I'm sure that I am. And then, suddenly, the birds crumple up like wads of paper and fall to the ground. My surroundings fall silent again.  
>Though my brain feels like it's spinning inside my skull, I can think of nothing except getting out of this horrible place. My mind hazy with venom, my body racked with pain, I stumbled forward.<p>

There's a blinding flash of light. As soon as it clears, the forest returns to normal. Except, this time, my face is in the underbrush and there are rocks digging into the side of my head. I have to get up. But I can't make myself move. I try curling my fingers, but my hand doesn't respond.

The next second, I'm falling. The forest floor caves inward and I'm suspended in the air, plummeting into a swirling black pit. The last sane thought in my head is: _I hope Katniss got away safely. I hope she's all right..._

Then the horrors begin.


	2. Chapter 2

It feels like a lifetime before the hallucinations finally stop. But eventually the horrific, nightmarish images of my mother's fists and the Capitol's wicked, freaky, painted-on smiles and Katniss's tortured body fade away into a sweet, black nothingness. For a while I am blissfully unaware of my surroundings and I can finally rest.

I must've fallen into a deep sleep. When I open my eyes, the world is blurry but at least it's no longer spinning. I'm still lying on my stomach in the underbrush. From what I can tell, it's mid-afternoon. How long have I been out? A surge of panic jolts through me. The Careers. They must be nearly recovered by now, which means they'll be hunting me. I've got to move. Cato made it very clear he's got it out for me, since he saw that I protected Katniss.

_Katniss._ My breath catches in my throat. The thought of her lying all alone in the woods, helpless and lost in the delirium of jacker venom, fills me with worry. What if another tribute finds her? I want to go look for her, then remember I can't. The Careers are after both of us. It's safer if we're apart, for now. Maybe I can look for her, just to be sure she's safe, and then leave before she sees me. But then I feel a pang in my chest. What if she's already been killed? I don't know how long I've been unconscious, but I have a feeling it's been a day or two. If she died, I would have missed it.

I shake those thoughts from my head. No, Katniss can't be dead. I refuse to even consider it.

I've got to move. I try to get up, but immediately find out it's not going to be an easy task. My limbs feel like they have weights strapped to them and my body is aching and stiff. The effort makes my head swim. _I can't just lie here,_ I tell myself. _If I want to survive, I cannot just lie here._ I notice that my mouth is dry as sandpaper and tastes like vomit. I've become dehydrated. _Get up! Get up!_ I urge myself. I have to find water. Soon.

Mustering all the strength I can find, I roll over onto my back. _Ouch._ My body is so weak. It'll be a miracle if I can get to my feet. But I have to. For Katniss. I have to make sure she's alive. The thought gives me a little more energy, and I'm able to struggle into a sitting position. I remind myself that I can't let my physical condition get in the way if I want to keep her safe...and survive myself. So, ignoring the heaviness of my limbs and the stiffness in my joints, I rise shakily to my feet.

My legs are wobbly and unstable, but I am able to stay upright. Task one complete. Now to find water. Not wanting to move too quickly, I walk through the woods in the direction that I think I remember a stream being. I've kept a careful track of water sources in case I got separated from the Careers. Now I'm very glad that I did.

As I walk, my thoughts wander back to Katniss as they so often do. Images of her beautiful face drift through my mind. I wonder again if she's realized that my announcement during the interviews wasn't a lie. Probably not. It breaks my heart to think that, in her eyes, everything I've done is for my own benefit, when that's not true at all. Again, I'm overcome by the desire to wrap her in my arms and assure her that all I've done was to protect her. And to beg her forgiveness. If only she knew how much I love her... Tears pool in my eyes as I think of her body, either bloated from tracker jacker stings or mutilated by another tribute, lying on the forest floor, waiting to be removed by a hovercraft. I shake my head. I can't get distracted by that kind of thinking.

I've been walking for a while now, with no sign of water. I can feel myself getting weaker from dehydration. And I'm starting to smell myself. The sour stench of sweat and vomit reminds me of the odor that hung about Haymitch after he lost it on the train.

Then suddenly I remember, and I'm overcome with frustration. "Haymitch!" He could send me help. But then I remember there's probably nobody foolish enough to spend money on me, and my hopes fall. I've gotten _zilch_ so far. Surely...surely he could get me _something._ A filled canteen would be nice about now. "If you've got any help to give, Haymitch, now would be a good time to let me know," I mumble. My voice, I notice, is dry and hoarse. My throat is parched.

I glance up at the sky, hardly daring to hope that I'll see a parachute drifting down. But of course there's nothing-just a scorching, relentless sun in a cloudless blue sky. Just what I need. I shake my head and keep walking. At least the effects of the venom seem to be wearing off a bit. I know it'll take a while for them to leave completely, but I guess it could be a lot worse.

I hear a cheery, musical chirping sound ahead. When I look up I see a bird perched on a branch nearby. A mockingjay, if I remember right. I feel a strange mix of happiness and worry. The bird reminds me of Katniss, of course, as so many things do.

Then it suddenly falls silent and just looks at me. I frown, wondering what would make it do that, but then dismiss it. It's just a bird. Anything could frighten it. It's probably just-

Then I hear it. The loud _snap_ of a twig behind me.

I freeze.

"Hey there, Lover Boy," Cato sneers. "Looking for your girlfriend?"

Author's Note : Haiii~ So, I updated :)) Hihihi... I feel so accomplished T^T xD Anyways, review and add to your favs! :)) Comments and suggestions are welcome ^^


	3. Chapter 3

Cato has the back of my shirt before I can even turn around. "Where d'ya thing you're going?" he hisses in my ear. He's so close to my face that I can smell his breath. It smells very, _very_ foul.

"Let go of me," I mutter under my breath, struggling to keep my voice under control. My heart is pounding so hard inside my chest it's almost painful. I hope he can't hear it.

"Not until you tell me what you thought you were doing back there."

"I don't know what you're talking about." I'm stalling, I know, but I cannot put Katniss in any more danger.

"You know exactly what he's talking about," Clove says, coming around to stand by Cato. She stumbles a bit as she walks. Cato's movements seem wobbly too. They must also still be getting over the effects of the venom. "You let her get away on purpose."

The rest of the Careers are here, too. I see can see Marvel from the corner of my eye, and behind him are the boy from District Three, and even the boy from Ten with the bad leg. Great. Now everyone has a front row seat to witness my murder.

"Who?" I say, trying to sound genuine.

Clove rolls her eyes and the other Careers make mocking sounds.

"Don't play dumb with us," Cato growls, yanking on my shirt collar. "You're stupid, but not _that_ stupid. The girl from Twelve. You let her get away. _Where did she go_?"

I take a deep breath. "I don't know."

With one powerful shove, Cato throws me to the ground. "Don't lie to me, Mellark! Where's your ditzy little girlfriend?"

"I told you, I don't know!"

"What did you say to her?" demands Clove, planting her hands on her hips and bending over me. I guess she's trying to be threatening.

"He told her to run," Cato answers. "I heard the whole thing. Where did she run to, Mellark? I _know_ you know!"

"I'll bet they've got a secret meeting place up in a tree somewhere," Clove spits in disgust. The other Careers laugh. One makes gagging noise.

"Shut up," Cato snaps, frustrated. He kneels next to me and grabs a fistful of my shirt. "You're gonna tell me where she went, Lover Boy. Now."

"I swear, I don't know!" Despite my efforts, there are traces of fear in my voice.

Cato pulls his sword from its sheath and brandishes it lazily. "You're gonna regret lying to me, Mellark. I promise you that. Now, I'll give you one more chance." He points the sword at me. The blade glistens in the afternoon sun. "_Where is she_?"

I'm breathing heavily through my nose, part with fear, and part with anger. Through clenched teeth I growl, "I. Don't. Know."

Cato shrugs. "Fine. We can find her on our own. Shouldn't be too hard." He releases me with a shove that sends my back smacking painfully into the ground. Then he points the sword at my chest. "Well, you're useless now. I'll tell the girl you said goodbye."

Clove smirks. "I don't know what the heck she sees in you, anyway."

Inwardly, I smile at the irony. _Nothing,_ I think. She sees absolutely nothing except a manipulative, selfish boy who used her to boost his own popularity. "You're gonna kill me?" I say coolly, despite my panic on the inside. I'm trying to think of some way out of this, but my brain is spinning too fast to think. I grope for something, anything, that will make them think twice about killing me. I'm not scared to die, but I've got to live to make sure Katniss makes it home. "Well, I guess that's preferable. You'll never get anything out of me then."

Cato raises his eyebrows in surprise. "Kill you? Oh, I'm not going to kill you. Nature will take care of that. I'm just going to . . . speed the process along. Sound good?"

I try not to let him hear me gulp. I can't show fear . . .

He reaches down and pulls me roughly to my feet by my shirt collar again. My heart is hammering against my chest; my breath comes in tortured gasps.

There's murder in Cato's eyes as he pulls me closer to him. He never breaks my gaze, but I can feel him position the sword beneath my waist.

I hear the sickening sound of the blade slicing through flesh, the thud of it hitting bone. And then I realize . . . it was _my_ flesh. My bone.

Before I can even register what's happening, a scream forms deep within me-a scream born out of pure pain. It fills every single inch of me. Then it rips out of my throat with such force that I'm positive all of Panem can hear it. As the world fades to black, I wonder how it's possible for a human scream to sound so inhuman. And so much like raw agony.

Author's Note : Hihihi.. It's short.. sorry.. ^^" Please, comment and tell me what you think and suggestions are welcome


	4. Chapter 4

There's a booming sound. It's muffled and faint, but I can hear it. It sounds like thunder. I wonder if there's a storm coming. No matter, I can just stay in bed. I'm safe and warm in my house. Then I remember that my mother will be coming for me if I don't get up soon. I've got to put fresh loaves in the oven. If I don't . . . the consequences will be dire.

Slowly, I force my eyes open and have to squint at the bright light. Light? That doesn't make any sense. It's storming. I try to blink my eyes into focus and see a blurry tangle of tree boughs above me. But...that can't be right. I'm supposed to be-

Suddenly the breath is sucked right out of my lungs. I'm not at home. I'm in...

Oh, crap. The arena. The thunder must've been a cannon. Suddenly the memories of all that's happened come flooding back into my mind, hitting me with the force of a freight train, and I don't even consider who it was that just died. I can still hear the sound of Cato's sword tearing through my leg and I think I'm going to vomit.

What am I going to do? I feel paralyzed, too scared to try to move for fear of what it'll do to my leg. I can feel the sticky wetness of the blood drenching my thigh. None of it's dry either. _Oh, no,_ I think, my heart rate speeding up. _It's still bleeding._

Panic seizes my chest and I can't breathe. What am I going to do? I close my eyes and try to take deep breaths in through my nose and out my mouth. I force my mind to calm down so I can think clearly.

First I need to assess the damage. And to do that, I'll have to sit up. Slowly, carefully, I lift my torso off the ground. Not too much pain yet. Other than being sore and achy from the burns and stings, my upper body is in okay shape. I get up onto my elbows.

Then my eyes land on my thigh.

My stomach drops and the blood drains from my face. I gag, but somehow I manage not to throw up. I really have no idea how.

My left leg is completely covered in blood. I can't even see my pants underneath it all. Looking at it makes me feel dizzy and nauseous. I'm scared to death to try to move it. How am I ever going to get up?

I clench my jaw. I have no idea what I'm going to do, but I _do_ know I can't just lie here. If I want to survive, I have to move. I've _got_ to find food and water, especially now that I've lost so much blood. Maybe I can get to a tree and pull myself up that way. I take a deep, calming breath. I have to move. I have to move.

Mustering all the courage and strength I can find, I plant my hands in the earth and push myself backwards. The next instant I'm screaming again. Horrific, searing pain shoots through my leg like burning fire and quickly consumes the rest of my body. My mind goes blank. The only thing that registers is this terrible monster of pain that's trying to eat me alive. _My leg._ It hurts. It _hurts._ The edges of my vision are tinged with red, even though I think my eyes are clamped shut. For a moment I'm afraid I'm going to pass out, but thankfully I don't.

When the pain subsides enough for me to think straight again, I am filled with despair. How will I ever get anywhere like this? I can't just sit here, but it hurts too much to move. I quickly consider my options. One, I can just stay here and hope for help to come before death does (which seems very unlikely). Two, I suck it up and move. It doesn't take long to decide on the second option, even though I am dreading it.

I think of Katniss again. I _have_ to find her now, to warn her that the Careers are after her.

I slowly remove my belt from the loops of my pants. Then I fold it up and put it in my mouth. I'm already grimacing from the pain I know is sure to come as I get ready to drag myself again. I pick out the nearest tree and set my sights on it. That's my goal. If I can just get that far, I'll be able to make it. I take another deep breath, brace myself for the pain, and scoot backwards.

My teeth sink hard into the belt and I howl in pain. I'm able to make it a couple feet before it gets so bad that I have to stop. I've never been in this much pain before. But I can't stop for too long. I have to make it to that tree. I groan again as I shift back.

Six more feet to cross. I can do this. I get three more feet before my vision starts swimming. So much pain . . . I bite down into my belt as hard as I can to distract myself and move again. Almost there. Two more feet. Just a little further . . . One more foot.

Giving it my last effort, I shove myself towards the tree, loud cries of pain escaping through my clenched teeth. Then I stop and rest my head against the trunk. I made it.

I give myself a few minutes to catch my breath and will the pain down before trying to haul myself up. I can't stop now. Gotta find Katniss . . . When I take the belt out of my mouth, I find deep depressions from my teeth in the leather. I can't stop. I put it back in and reach up to grab a low branch on the tree. This will be the hardest part. The good news is that I think my leg is starting to go numb.

Then I hear something odd. Another booming sound, but this time it's not a cannon. It's a loud, distant rumbling that sounds a lot like thunder. A series of blasts follow, and I can feel the reverberations shake the ground. Immediately I think of the mines the boy from Three rigged around the Careers' pile of supplies. I can't help smiling. I hope that's what it is.

It takes an enormous amount of willpower to pull myself up. My arms feel weak and tremble as I try to get my good foot underneath me. It's a draining effort that leaves me gasping for air and clinging desperately to the branch so I won't fall.

My leg . . . it's killing me. Probably in the literal sense. Finding water is going to be a real trick. I look around. Now what? I don't have the strength to hop around on one leg. I'll have to find some sort of crutch. My eyes scan the forest floor, searching for a stick tall and thick enough to support me. Then I spot one a few yards away that might work. I'll have to hop from tree to tree to get to it, but I think I can make it.

Holding firmly to the branch, I take a hop forward. I'm so weak that it's not an easy thing to do, like it normally would be. I keep my eyes on the stick and try to ignore the pain in my leg. _It's not that far,_ I try to convince myself. I hop a few more times, biting down on the belt. _Katniss. Katniss. Katniss._ I repeat her name over and over in my mind as I slowly move forward. She is the reason I must get there. She is the reason I have to ignore this horrendous pain. She is the reason I cannot collapse right here in the dead leaves, like I so desperately want to. I have to find her. Moving in that way, I manage to get to another tree trunk. Then another.

Another cannon blast rings through the sky. Who could that be? I can't help thinking of Katniss. _Oh, please, don't let it be her._ I guess I'll find out tonight.

I take another hop, and suddenly the stick is right there, on the ground before me. Despite the pain, I smile at this small victory. Holding tightly to a branch, I bend down and pick it up. Thank goodness, it will do for a crutch. I lodge it firmly under my arm and let go of the tree. Hopefully I'll be able to move around more freely.

I hobble forward, leaning heavily on the stick. But my balance is all off. I pitch forward, and before I realize what I'm doing, I've stepped down on my bad leg. A horrible, bone-chilling sound fills my ears. It's a moment before I realize that it's me. I've no idea how, but I'm able to grab hold of another nearby branch before I crumple to the ground.

_Pain._ It's all I know. It's wrapping itself snuggly around me like a blanket, filling every part of me. I feel it consume every nerve in my body. I am sure that it is literally ripping me apart. _How is it possible to hurt this much and still be alive?_ Through the cloudiness of my mind, I feel myself vomiting. Then I collapse into the dead leaves.

Before I lose consciousness, I'm vaguely aware of the sound of rushing water nearby.


End file.
